Talks to begin on Columbia commercial seine fishing

A new advisory board to provide recommendations for developing a commercial seine fishery on the lower Columbia River will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2108 Grand Blvd.

The public is invited to the session of the five-member Emerging Fishery Advisory Board.

Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator, said the new board was created to help implement a portion of the Columbia River Basin Salmon Management Policy adopted by the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions in 2012.

The policy calls for the development of salmon fisheries that use alternative selective gear, such as purse seines and beach seines.

Roler said his agency will look to the advisers for recommendations on license qualifications, gear requirements and other regulatory aspects of the fishery.

Guy Norman, regional director for Southwest Washington, said new rules for seining in the Columbia likely will be presented to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in January or February after meeting with commercial fishermen and coordinating with Oregon.

Implementation of a seine fishery in 2014 is anticipated.